Patent GB-781777-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to shoe upper conforming machines
IPC: A43D21/16
Filed: 1954-10-27
Abstract: 781,777. Shoe upper conforming machines. BRITISH UNITED SHOE. MACHINERY CO., Ltd. (United Shoe Machinery Corporation). Oct. 26, 1955 [Oct. 27, 1954], No. 30935/54. Class 17(1) A shoe upper conforming machine having a plurality of toe-part grippers movable heightwise to pull on upper on a last, toe embracing wipers to wipe the upper margins at the toe inwardly across the edge of an insole on the last bottom, and other wiping means to wipe marginal portions at opposite sides of the upper inwardly across the edge of the insole in locations where the edge of the shoe bottom curves inwardly towards the shank, has additional features, as follows: (1) Means to move the open grippers inwardly into position for the insertion of the upper margins between the jaws (2), means to move the grippers reversely outwardly as they pull the upper heightwise of the last (3), an additional toe end gripper which is engaged by the toe end of the last to position the latter (4), means to maintain some grippers retracted away from the last so that they do not operate on the upper when the other grippers operate (5) means to limit the heightwise pulling movement of some, at least, of the grippers, means to cause the grippers to release the upper after tensioning, and means to move the grippers further in the upper-pulling direction to out of the way position when they release the upper (6), means to move the toe wipers lengthwise of the shoe into position, means to move the other wipers thereafter heightwise of the shoe into its position, and members movable heightwise of the shoe with the other wipers to engage the insole and thus determine the operative heightwise position of the wipers and (7), the other wipers comprise at each side of the shoe a pair of wipers one of which lies more toe-ward, means to move both wipers of each pair into position to begin wiping near the ball, and means to cause the toe-ward wiper of each pair to move widthwise of the shoe and the other wiper to move obliquely, widthwise and lengthwise of the shoe whilst wiping the upper. The machine is used to last shoes the uppers of which have not been previously subjected to a pulling over operation. In operation, a last with an insole and a loose upper thereon is held in position with the insole margins engaging fingers 20, and 76, and the toe end engaging a plate 94 on the toe end gripper 92 which acts as an end gauge and aids the lateral adjustment of the last. The engagement of the heel end against pads 98 and plate 100 of the heel rest 96 move the heel rest into position. Treadle 636 (not shown), is then depressed to actuate valve 616 (Fig. 53), so that piston 576 is moved in cylinder 578 and through a pawl turns cam shaft 572 (not shown) with cams 570 (not shown) through 60 degrees. No. 1 cam then moves valve No. 1 so that fluid passes to cylinders 230, via 870, 872, to move pistons 228 which act on toggles 220 (Fig. 13), other than that of the central gripper 92 which acting as an end gauge is locked against movement endwise of the shoe, to swing the corresponding grippers into engagement with the periphery of the last. Valve 876 reduces the pressure so that toggles 220 do not close the grippers. Valve No. 2 is actuated and as a result piston 354 is moved raising locking members 342 (not shown) so that arms 334 (not shown), are freed and engage an abutment to position the arms relative to the position of the grippers, later locking of these arms preventing further inward movement of the grippers. Valve No. 7 is also actuated so that piston 174 is moved and held, and in turn moves plates 108 into engagement with extensions 180 to .prevent forward movement of the heel rest, detents 184 and teeth 182 lock to prevent upward displacement, and the ball-lasting units are advanced lengthwise to positions determined by the engagement of the heel rest with the shoe. The margin of the upper is then inserted in the forepart grippers 92, 202, 204 to an extent determined by plates 514. Treadle 636 is again depressed to turn shaft 572 a further 60 degrees, pistons 354 releasing locking members 342 which are then moved by springs to lock arms 334. Valve No. 3 is actuated and admits fluid under greater pressure, though still reduced by valve 882, via 870, 872 to operate toggles 220 to effect closing of the gripper jaws. To ensure that the grippers close firmly on the upper this pressure is increased by compression of spring 810 of relief valve 806, an effect of the second depression of treadle 636. At the same time valve 888 is operated by the treadle to open by-pass 886 to this increase of pressure to cylinder 230. Valve 882 is again in control when the treadle is released, valve 912 relieving the excess pressure. If readjustment is necessary knee pad 964 is pressed to move valve 918 which reduces the pressure. On release of pad 964 valve 882 resumes control, and spring 810 may be compressed to increase the pressure by operation of a knee pad 862 (not shown). On the third depression of the treadle shaft 572 is turned through a further 60 degrees, moving valves 4 and 5. Pistons 272 are thus actuated and via lever 262 impart an upper Dulling movement to the grippers, valve No. 4 being operated slightly before valve No. 5 so that the central gripper 92 and the two adjacent grippers pull the upper slightly before the other grippers, and pistons 518 act via lever 262 to retard these movements of the grippers. This retarding action is reduced by means of valve 672 which opens restricted outlets in cylinders 520. The pulling movements of the grippers about the toe are limited by stops which after the pull, may be rotated, some individually and some in groups to vary the positions of the grippers heightwise of the last and thus adjust the force of the pull or to adjust the upper' relatively to the last. The grippers may also be moved lengthwise to adjust the upper, the seven foremost grippers being moved in the same peripheral direction around the toe by means of a pair of hand levers 712 (not shown), and the two rearmost pairs of grippers moved independently lengthwise of the last by other hand levers 734 (not shown). To facilitate such movement of the stop members and grippers the force of the pull of the grippers may be reduced by means of lever 798 which moves valve 782 and through valves 742, 774, and 744 (not shown) opens restricted outlets for the fluid in cylinders 274. When operating on small shoes, some or all the grippers 204 may be latched in retracted positions outwardly of the shoe, the latches being releasable by an operator activated lever and then serving to determine the operating positions of those grippers. With the upper in proper relation to the grippers 1268 of the ball-lasting units, treadle 972 (not shown) is depressed to actuate a one revolution clutch resulting in the movement of cam shaft 976 which in one revolution serves to complete in three stages the revolution of cam shaft 572. Substantially at the beginning of movement of shaft 976 a cam thereon acts to move the toe rest 1192 to engage and clamp the shoe yieldingly against members 20, and 76, a flexible band 1096 (not shown) is applied to clamp the upper, the forepart grippers are opened by release of fluid from cylinders 230 and moved downwardly by piston 526, and further cams 1530, 1550 (not shown) cause the wiper support of the ball lasting units to swing upwardly until fingers 1534 engage the insole as in Fig. 57. Actuation of valve No. 6 admits fluid to cylinders 1404 whereupon both pistons 1400 (not shown) 1402' move to close the grippers 1268 firmly on the upper, then the smaller piston 1400 alone operates the gripper, with less force to pull the upper. At substantially the same time cams 1468 (not shown), 1460 (not shown) on shaft 976 act to operate the wiper carrying slides to move the pairs of ball wipers 1434, 1436 obliquely towards the shoe. In response to the resistance of the still tensioned upper to the wipers, valves 1424 are operated to release fluid from cylinders 1404 when the wipers are in position to press the upper against the edge of the insole. This causes grippers 1268 to release the upper, whereupon the wipers are moved inwardly wiping the upper margin, wipers 1436 being deflected to move more directly widthwise of the shoe while wipers 1434 continue in their oblique directions. The wipers swing fingers 1534 yieldingly inward and away from the insole out of the path of the wipers which are pressed more firmly up against the upper. In time relation to the movement of the ball-lasting units a carrier 1122 is operated by a track on shaft 976 to move the forepart wipers 1616 to the position where they have begun inward wiping (Fig. 61). A slide 1676 on the carrier is then operated by a cam 1660 (Fig. 13) and advances a crossbar 1680 which first through 1692, 1694, 1698 closes the wipers until they have adjusted themselves to the shoe, by engagement of their inwardly curved end portions with portions of the upper previously wiped over by the ballwipers, in response to resistance of the shoe to further closing of the wipers, pawls' 1700 are then swung to engage teeth 1702 on blocks 1704 preventing further swinging of the crossbar, and the wipers are further closed via 1692, 1698 and advanced lenthwise via 1700, 1704, 1706, 1726, 1626. The inwardly curved ends of the wipers 1616 acting on the inclined portions of the shoe bottom force the shoe slightly upwardly against the spring 1210 (not shown) controlling the toe rest. The wipers swing fingers 20, 76 inwardly and downwardly, the edge holddowns 84 are displaced, and the retarder 48 may be depressed against the resistance of its spring. Before the completion of wiping the toe rest pressure is increased to increase the pressure of the wipers on the upper margin. The ball-lasting wipers are swung downwardly from the path of wipers 1616. After the completion of wipin